How long are AV hardware lead times in 2026?

AV hardware lead times in 2026 range from 1 to 16 weeks depending on category, with standard displays and certified video bars at the fast end (1 to 3 weeks from UK distribution) and dvLED video walls and matrix switching at the slow end (8 to 16 weeks, often build-to-order from China or EMEA factories). The post-2020 supply chain has stabilised but stock-versus-order behaviour still varies sharply by product family, which means project sequencing matters more than headline price when you procure for a fixed install date.

From the floor. The commercial trap is the non-cancellable deposit on dvLED and AV-over-IP at design freeze. Once the BOM is signed and the integrator places the manufacturer order, those funds are committed; any client-side scope change inside the lead time means a paid-for piece of kit lands at site and gets carried as inventory. We negotiate a 5 per cent variation buffer into the BOM clause at contract stage so design adjustments inside the lead window do not trigger a write-off. Buyers should ask for that clause by name. — Mark Brooks, Commercial Director

Custom programmed control is not strictly a hardware lead time. Crestron, Q-SYS or Extron processors usually arrive within the codec window, but the programming and commissioning effort itself runs 2 to 6 weeks in parallel and is tracked as a separate line on the equipment supply and project schedule. For multi-site programmes spanning several countries an international AV partner will pre-position long-lead items at regional distribution to avoid customs and shipping windows compressing the install week.

The practical rule is to order long-lead items at design freeze, not at install start. Locking dvLED, Crestron NVX and large-format displays at the moment the BOM is signed off, then layering in faster-moving displays and video bars closer to install, keeps the programme on date without sitting on inventory.

Quick reference: standard displays 1-3 weeks, VC bars 1-3 weeks, large-format and DSP 4-8 weeks, AV-over-IP 6-10 weeks, dvLED 8-16 weeks.